CANTON - A new book by a St. Lawrence University professor examines Canada's complex environmental issues. The book is titled "Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty-First Century," It was written by Senior Lecturer in Canadian Studies Neil Forkey and published by University of Toronto Press.

Among the topics covered in the book are the classification of Canada's environments by its earliest inhabitants; the relationship between science and sentiment in the Victorian era; the shift towards conservation and preservation of resources in the early 20th century; and the rise of environmentalism and issues involving First Nations at the end of the century. Publishers state that Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty-First Century "provides an accessible synthesis of the most important recent work in the field, making it a truly state of-the-art contribution to Canadian environmental history."

Forkey is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and holds a master's degree from the University of Maine. He earned his Ph.D. from Queen's University and teaches courses in on the history of Canada. Forkey is also the author of the 2003 book Shaping the Upper Canadian Frontier: Environment, Society, and Culture in the Trent Valley.